Nick Hotujec always imagined his future would be built on spreadsheets, not pipes. Numbers fascinated him — the way businesses tick, the strategies behind profits and growth. He enrolled at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh to become a certified public accountant, certain his path led to taxes, financial plans and a clean, orderly career in accounting.

But life has a way of tossing in a curveball. While earning his associate’s degree, Hotujec watched his brother-in-law transform a rundown house into a livable home, and something inside him shifted. The meticulous kid who once calculated balance sheets suddenly found himself captivated by copper pipes, power tools and the satisfaction of tangible work. “I didn’t even know where the water came from for the kitchen faucet,” he admits. “Donny not only knew that — he knew how to handle it and fix problems. I was fascinated.”

Soon, the calculator gave way to a wrench. Guided — but deliberately not apprenticed — by his brother-in-law, Hotujec dove into the plumbing trade, carrying with him a knack for numbers that would later fuel his own business. Today, three short years after launching Cheddar’s Plumbing, the onetime accounting student has turned that leap of faith into a thriving residential plumbing company with a name as memorable as the work itself.

A LEAP OF FAITH

Hotujec’s path into plumbing didn’t come with a family shortcut. His brother-in-law Donny pointed him in the right direction but kept a deliberate distance. “He guided me where to go, how to do my apprenticeship,” Hotujec recalls. “But he kept an arm’s length from me on everything because he didn’t want to mix family and business. At first it was hard not to take offense, but now that I’m older, I get it — especially running my own business.”

So Hotujec started from scratch, enrolling in plumbing school and clocking hours as an apprentice under other pros. The transition was humbling. “I didn’t know how anything worked,” he admits. But he soaked up every lesson, trading financial formulas for pipe diagrams and codebooks. Those early days were a blur of late nights, heavy tools and the steady rhythm of learning a trade the hard way — one leak, one fitting, one perfectly soldered joint at a time.

The accounting background never went to waste. As he worked his way up, Hotujec quietly built a financial foundation, setting aside money for expensive tools and equipment, planning for the day he could strike out on his own. Even then, he knew ownership wasn’t a distant dream; it was the endgame. “The plan to have my own company was always in the cards,” he says.

By the time Hotujec earned his master plumber license, the next move felt inevitable. He loved the family-run shop where he worked, but the itch to create something of his own only grew stronger. “I loved it there — the culture, the flexibility,” he says. “But I got my license, passed the test, and that same week I traded my car and bought a van.”

It was during the chaotic days of the COVID era, when vans were scarce and equipment was even harder to find. He and his wife, Jessica, drove 90 minutes to Ohio to secure a GMC Savannah, trading in his old truck for what would become the first Cheddar’s Plumbing vehicle. The moment was exhilarating — and terrifying. “I remember the weight in my stomach thinking, ‘Oh my God, what did I just do?’” Hotujec recalls.

They went straight from the dealership to a weeklong beach vacation with friends, spending their downtime creating Facebook, Yelp, Instagram and Google listings for the new business. “When we came back, I had a week’s worth of work lined up just from Facebook alone,” he says. “Ever since then, it’s been nonstop.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME

The name might sound like a joke, but Cheddar’s Plumbing is no gimmick. “Cheddar” was simply Hotujec’s long-time nickname — a playful handle from friends that stuck over the years. When it came time to brand his new venture, he leaned into it. 

“I figured I’d name my company that. It’s easier to Google,” he says with a grin. As for the origin of the nickname itself? He waves it off with a laugh. “It’s a boring story. Believe me, it’s not worth writing about.”

What is worth writing about is how quickly the company behind the quirky name began to click. From the moment Hotujec traded his car for a van and opened for business, work poured in. The once would-be accountant suddenly found himself running service calls in century-old Pittsburgh homes, learning the nuances of aging pipes and finicky fixtures while putting his financial savvy to work behind the scenes. 

“I do all my own books,” he says. “I get to see how the numbers work every single day — and the numbers have been very good.”

Cheddar’s Plumbing may have started with a nickname, but it’s the quality of the work that keeps customers calling. Hotujec and his growing crew focus solely on residential jobs, approaching each house call with crisp collared shirts, a friendly smile and the kind of personal attention that turns a plumbing appointment into a relationship. “If you ask a lady about her dog or her grandkids, they feel a lot better about our prices,” Hotujec says.

THE CHEDDAR’S WAY

Three years later, Cheddar’s Plumbing has grown from a one-man gamble into a busy residential service operation with a loyal following. Hotujec runs the business alongside apprentice plumber Joe Goldman, a professional musician who showed up for “a one-day job” and never left. “We’re nonstop. It never stops,” Hotujec says, adding that Goldman is “one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.”

They’re joined by three regular helpers — including Hotujec’s pastor on Fridays — who lend a hand when the workload spikes. Together, the crew focuses exclusively on residential service in Pittsburgh’s older homes, where century-old pipes bring daily surprises. “Many of the houses are 100 years old,” Hotujec says. “Everybody has multiple issues, not just a kitchen faucet to be installed. It’s our job to educate the people about it.”

The Cheddar’s name may be playful, but the company’s branding is serious business. Hotujec recently wrapped both service vans — a 2023 Ford Transit and the original GMC Savannah — in bold graphics, turning them into rolling billboards. 

“We want to pull up looking as nice as we can,” he says. Inside, the tools are organized with Milwaukee Tool’s modular storage system, a stackable network of boxes that keeps everything accessible. “Basically, you have 15 mini toolboxes that carry all you need. You can bring in two boxes and have what you need for a certain job.”

The equipment is top-tier, too. RIDGID plumbing tools and Milwaukee power tools are staples, with Hotujec praising RIDGID’s sewer cameras and snakes as the industry’s best. “If you look up RIDGID plumbing tools, you’ll see they make the best snakes, the best sewer cameras,” he says.

SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY

Hotujec is equally strategic about his online presence. Cheddar’s Plumbing boasts more than 300,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, thanks to short, engaging videos that demystify plumbing while showcasing the crew’s personality. “I don’t see myself as an internet star,” he says. “I just make interesting videos. There are little ways to keep viewers engaged — little secrets.”

He knows the importance of grabbing attention. “You have to capture them in the first five seconds and make it interesting. Audio has to be nonstop talking. Everything has to be perfect, and when you do, you crack the code,” he explains.

Jessica also convinced him to add online booking, a move he initially resisted because of the monthly fees. “I said, ‘Why would I pay $100 a month for that?’” Hotujec says. “Then my wife said if she were a customer, she’d rather book online than call. I said, ‘Huh, that’s actually genius.’ You get one job from it, it pays for itself.”

A BRAND AMBASSADOR BY ACCIDENT

Hotujec’s attention to quality products caught the eye of Oatey, a manufacturer of plumbing supplies. 

“When I first started plumbing, I was in a ditch, digging a hole with this guy named Kevin,” Hotujec says. “We were sitting there and I said, ‘Dude, this branding is so sick. Do we use anything else?’ Kevin told me Oatey was the only thing worthwhile.”

Hotujec posted about the company on Facebook, asking for a T-shirt. Oatey responded — and eventually invited him to become a brand ambassador. There’s no paycheck, but the recognition matters. 

“If I’m going to represent something, it’s going to be that product, for sure,” he says. “They make wax rings, glue, primer, tape, dough — stuff you use every day. If you call yourself a good plumber, you use Oatey products.”

LESSONS LEARNED ON THE JOB

Not every day is routine. One job in particular still haunts Hotujec: a house where the electrical system was grounded to the waterline, a common practice in older Pittsburgh homes. 

When he went to replace the main shut-off valve, the neutral wire failed and the breaker box began to smoke. 

“The waterlines were sparking,” he says. “We had to call 911 and evacuate the home. If something sparked, that house could have blown up. I still have dreams about it.”

FAITH, FAMILY AND THE FUTURE

Despite the long hours, Hotujec keeps Sundays sacred. A drummer since childhood, he serves as music director at his church. The balance of work and worship keeps him grounded.

As for growth, Hotujec knows the next challenge is hiring another plumber. “We’re capped at what we can do with two plumbers right now,” he admits. He dreams of mentoring high school students, bringing fresh talent into a trade that has given him both a career and a calling.

Looking back, the onetime accounting student has no regrets. 

“I don’t have any regrets leaving accounting,” he says. “I do all my own books. I get to see how numbers work every single day.”

The numbers tell a clear story: Cheddar’s Plumbing is thriving, and the kid who once imagined life behind a desk now finds satisfaction in every pipe repaired, every leak fixed, every home left better than he found it.